Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Queens University of Charlotte softball team traveled to face Georgia College and State University for their season opener this afternoon. The Royals split the series with the Bobcats winning game one 8-5 and dropping game two 10-2 in five innings.

Emma Schultz (Silver Spring, Md., Paint Branch) led the way today with three RBIs on two hits. Kaitlyn Cheek (Richmond, Va., JR Tucker ) and Chantel Dodge (Shalimar, Fla., Choctawhatchee) each collected two RBIs. Keeya Turner (Fayetteville, N.C., 71st ) and Amanda Meade (Bristow, Va., Osbourn Park) led scoring two runs each while also collecting three hits apiece.

Dodge picked up the win in game one striking out six while giving up seven hits. Jennifer Goodman (Centerville, Va., Westfield) took the loss in game two after picking up the start. Jessica Scott (Franklin, N.C., Raban Gap Nacoochee) pitched five innings giving up ten hits.

Turner led off in game one singling to left field. Emily Poulton (Temecula, Calif., Great Oak) then helped Turner advance to second with a bunt that also got her to first. With a sacrifice bunt from Megan Lathbury (Georgetown, Del., Sussex Central), Turner and Poulton then advanced to second and third. Cheek then hit a ball out to left field that was caught giving the Royals two outs as Noemi Rodriguez (Miami, Fla., G. Holmes Braddock Senior )stepped up to bat. Poor pitches allowed Rodriguez to walk to first with Dodge next up to bat. Dodge was then hit with a pitch giving the Royals their first run of the game. On the next play Schultz connected for a double collecting three RBIs as Dodge, Rodriguez and Poulton each scored runs putting the Royals up 4-0.

Whitney Okvist was able to score a run for the Bobcats after Kelsea Martin singled with a bunt.

Things were quiet until Cheek hit a homerun sending the ball over the fence in left field to give Queens a 5-1 lead. The Royals then used strategy picking up two more runs in the fifth. Whitney Britt (Gibson, N.C., Scotland) entered the game as a pinch runner for Rodriguez on first base. She then advanced to second and third on sacrifice hits. Meade was then able to bat Britt in for the score on a single to right field. Meade then used her speed to steal second base putting the Royals in position to score again. Robyn Levine stepped up hitting a single to help Meade advance to third base. Turner brought Meade in for the scored run with a single to right field on the next play putting Queens up 7-1.

A tired arm seemed to be the case for Georgia College's pitcher as three walks led to Meade picking up Queens' eighth scored run at the top of the seventh. After a changeup at the mound for Queens at the bottom of the seventh, the Bobcats scored four runs to close the game.

In game two, the Bobcats got off to a three-run start at the top of the first after two doubles. They then scored two more unanswered runs in the second after a few wild pitches put them in great position.

The Royals answered in the third scoring two runs after Rodriguez singled to bring Turner home, and Dodge singled to help Lathbury score.

The Bobcats scored one run in the fourth and then activated the run-rule in the fifth with four more scored runs making it 10-8. Queens had a chance to continue the game in the bottom of the fifth but couldn't get a hit.   

The Royals will remain in Milledgeville for the night as they are taking on Georgia Southwestern State University tomorrow in a doubleheader that begins at 10 a.m.